The Wedding Gift
by Ficcin
Summary: Bella wants to buy Edward a wedding gift, and her small college fund is all that she has. The watch she has picked out is perfect, but will her timing in buying the watch be less than perfect? FLUFF! Rated T for language. Reviews encouraged!
1. Chapter 1

Bella's POV

My wedding.

My…Wedding.

The words seemed so foreign, so unfamiliar, but in just fourteen days I would be married to the love of my life. My soul mate, my perfect match, whatever you wanted to call him. Edward was ecstatic when I had timidly accepted his proposal, and upon accepting, I saw the horrifying images of white poufy dresses, makeup, and Alice…She would be having so much fun with me. And she was. I had tried on at least 100 dresses in the past month, Alice determined to find the perfect one. Even after a stern reprimand from Edward, she continued her mad wedding frenzy. A flurry of veils, shoes, flowers, invitations, cake flavors, and much more had been my life for the past couple months. Alice had left me just minutes ago, squealing with excitement after I tried on hopefully the last dress. When it zipped, she emitted a loud squeaking noise, and practically broke my floor dancing with excitement. I, too, loved the dress. The back lined with lace, the front not too simple, but not too extravagant. I was glad that the dress shopping was over, and I could move on to more important things. Like a wedding gift for Edward. I already knew that he had some rather large presents in store for me. A shiny yellow sports car in the garage, jewelry of the finest gems, and with a little help from Alice, a closet full of brand new designer clothing. I couldn't offer him anything large, not even a ring for our wedding. Alice had picked it out with me in June, and she refused to let me pay. Thankfully, my college fund was not going anywhere, so I decided to buy him something simple, yet beautiful, just like him. A silver watch with small diamonds encircling the face. I had spotted the watch while ring shopping with Alice, and in the light the rainbow dancing off of the piece paralleled with Edward's marble skin in the sunlight. It reminded me of him in every way, and I had decided that I would purchase it for him, a small token of thanks for the forever he would be giving me.

Monday morning I was exhausted from waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat several times. I had dreamed of falling on the aisle, cutting my hand, sending all of our vampire guests on a frenzy. I assured myself several times that it was just a silly nerve induced dream, but in the back of my mind, I knew it was a very real possibility. I ate breakfast with Charlie, who seemed grim. Most likely from the upcoming wedding and the fact that he would have to wear a tux.

"Hey dad?" I asked through a mouthful of cereal.

"Hm?" he responded tersely.

"I'll make us a lasagna tonight…okay?" I asked. I wanted to be caring for him before I would have to leave him.

"Alright, thanks Bells. I'll be home around 6:30."

"See you dad" I said with a small wave, and grabbed my car keys.

I drove to the familiar jewelry shop that my neighbor owned. He smiled kindly at me as I entered the shop.

"Hi, Bella!" He greeted me happily.

"Hello Mr. Ambrose" I replied, shaking his hand. There were few other customers and they were all quietly browsing ring cases.

"What can I help you with?" He asked, "Did the ring turn out okay, does it not fit properly?" He asked, his eyebrows drawing together.

"No, nothing like that" I assured him. "I'm here to buy a watch for Edward."

Edward had known Mr. Ambrose for a long time, and I'm sure that he had made some recent purchases for me, probably bracelets, earrings, necklaces…I had to stop myself from thinking about the cost of them. Knowing Edward, the gems were probably imported from somewhere, and hand crafted for me, making them many of thousands of dollars per piece.

"Bella?"

"Yes?" I responded quickly, being snapped out of my trance.

"What kind of watch do you prefer?"

"Oh, I had one picked out already"

"Wonderful! Show me?" He requested. We made our way to the men's watches and I found the piece that had interested me. My heart fluttered as I saw it again in all its glory and striking color. Who knew that such a plain watch could emit a rainbow of color?

"Ah, yes, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual" He said, taking the watch gently from its case. My phone vibrated in my pocket, but I ignored it, Alice was probably calling and telling me not to buy the watch with my money. I could almost see her grabbing the credit card and speeding to the shop. It rang a second time, but I ignored it once more, entranced with the diamonds.

"I'm in love with it" I said simply.

"Well Bella, normally these run for about $12,000, but for you, $10,000. It's the frequent buyer discount" He added with a smirk. The Cullen family had been his customers for years, and he appreciated their business. I handed over my mere college fund, and in return, the watch was given to me in a beautiful dark blue box with Edward's gift. I shook his hand, and began my careful walk back to the car, now was no time for falling. I shuffled to the door, and reached out for the handle, only to be met by a rough shove back into the store, sending me reeling to the floor. I looked up in shock, and saw four men in black ski masks clad with crowbars and hammers. My mouth hung open and I realized that I was in the midst of a burglary.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

All heads in the room turned toward the door and the four men. They looked down at me and their eyes zeroed in on the watch. They roughly grabbed my arm and attempted to rip the box from my grasp. I would have none of that. I slapped his face with my free hand and he stopped the struggle momentarily. Before I could catch my breath, he kicked me as hard as he could in my gut, and I was airborne for a few seconds until I hit the floor and slumped over. The box was then promptly ripped from my hand and I was shoved aside. Through teary eyes, I saw the four men proceed to take the belongings from the other customers. Phones, purses, and wallets were deposited in a burlap bag. I had a flash of hope, realizing that my phone was in my purse, which I had dropped when I was pushed over. It still sat next to the door, the black leather camouflaging with the black walls. While I attempted to breathe again, I figured out that the calls must have been Alice warning me to get out of the shop before the burglary occurred. The good news was that Edward must be on his way, coming to get me the hell out of here. My side ached as I sat up, watching the thieves smash the glass and registers, stuffing their sack. One man was pulling the blinds down over the doors and windows and locking them.

"If anyone makes a move to escape" one of the larger men said gruffly "you'll get a bullet in your head." He held up a revolver for emphasis.

I heard tires screech on the pavement and it sent my heart flying, either Edward or the police were here, and I didn't mind which one it was as long as I made it out alive…And hopefully with the watch. Unfortunately, I was not the only one to hear the tires because each robber's heads cocked up at the sound. They immediately began to scream and torment the customers and employees, demanding to know who had called for help. My heart sunk when I saw them slap an old woman across the face who had a small cell phone which she had hidden in her pocket. Not only the old lady was punished, but everyone was shoved into the center of the room as the robbers continued their heist. In the process of breaking the cases, one of the burlap bags fell to the ground, its contents scattering around the room. Cursing, the men scurried to pick up their jewelry, but not before I could grab my small box back and tuck it behind my back.

I stopped breathing as I realized that one of the men had spotted me taking the box and he knelt down in front of me, a large smirk on his face.

"Well well well? Look who decided to take what isn't theirs?"

"This is mine" I growled "I bought it". Then because I was feeling cocky, I added "Unlike you."

That earned me a hard right hook in the face. My cheek was practically screaming at me. He turned around, obviously pleased with himself. But my stupid stubbornness would not let him off without a fight. I stood on shaky legs and kicked him hard in his calf. It's funny, I couldn't recall exactly what happened next. I remember being thrown and hitting a wall, my vision going in and out as I was pummeled by the men. Everything ached. I wanted to scream at myself. Why did you need to do that? Couldn't you just escape with your pride? As I began to get back to my senses, I heard a pounding on the door.

"Bella!" I heard my angel scream.

Edward. He was here. He could easily break the door, but that would rise suspicion. I couldn't call out to him to let him know that I was alright, or even alive. He settled with breaking the glass. That was a good idea, he could claim he used a rock instead of his hand. The glass peppered me and soon my one and only was kneeling down beside me, eyes dark and furious.

"Bella? Why didn't you tell me you were going somewhere? Alice had a v- oh my god you're bleeding. Are you alright? No…Of course not, you're…."He trailed off slowly looking up to the thieves who surrounded us.

"Get over there" one said, gesturing at the circle of frightened people "or get this in your head."

Edward stood slowly, looking the man dead in the eye. I could almost see a flash of fear in one of their eyes as Edward towered over him.

"Get this in your head monster" he hissed, and suddenly the man was sinking down from a wall five feet away. The rest of his gang made wimpy attempts to fight off Edward, but they were all in vain. When all of the men were down, and mostly bleeding, he was back at my side helping me to sit up. My ribs protested and I groaned weakly. In moments, police were at the scene arresting the men. Carlisle also arrived eventually. Carlisle looked at the old woman who had been slapped and took a small fall, but she just had a bruised hip and would recover easily. I thanked God that no one had been severely injured. Carlisle began to asses my injuries, which I put off as "I'm ok" and "It's not that bad", but Edward would have none of that.

"Those…Bastards got away alive. I should have-"

"Edward. They will be prosecuted and dealt with fairly. In the meantime…Someone needs to take an ambulance ride." I realized that he meant me.

"No. No thank you, please." I struggled to sit up and was met with two sets of cold hands who pushed me back down.

"No Bella, not this time. I'm fairly certain you have broken a few ribs, fractured a few metacarpal bones, broke your left leg, and you've got quite a shiner there" he added setting an ice pack under my eye.

"But I promised Charlie I would make lasagna tonight" I added feebly, as my last protest.

Carlisle chuckled and Edward stayed upset. "I think he'll live" Edward said tightly

I guess I would cooperate. I did feel pretty crappy, but if any needles or blood came out, I would refuse to be good.

The embarrassment was not when the ambulance pulled up screeching loud, but when they had to carefully load me onto the stretcher and strap me in. Edward held my hand the whole time. His face never changed. The expression of anger and remorse still etched on his face.

"Edward I'm fine" I assured him, squeezing his hand.

"You say that a lot, Bella"

"It's ok Edward, really."

"No, no its not. Not this time. Why were you even at the jewelry shop Bella? What were you doing there?"

I couldn't tell him about the watch, so I faked a whimper of pain, and he buried his head in my hair and apologized profusely. But I only felt slightly guilty.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The ambulance ride to the hospital was…Uncomfortable. I never got a chance to ask Carlisle about going back to retrieve the watch. Edward's features were drawn together, his lips pressed into a tight line, his hand firmly holding mine, demanding that the paramedics do something about my pain. It wasn't even that bad, truthfully. My ribs were numb- for now- but I was alright. I was unloaded from the ambulance and put in a stiff hospital bed. The doctor came in to asses my injuries, and the diagnosis matched Carlisle's perfectly. As soon as they left Edward fussed over me, as expected.

"How would you rate you pain from 1-10, Bella?"

"Edward how many times do I have to say that-"

"No Bella, you are NOT fine. If you were fine you would be at home right now making Charlie lasagna."

That hurt. I turned my head away from him with difficulty, my neck aching slightly. I was surprised when hot tears fell onto my clasped hands in my lap. Of course I was crying. But of all times, really Bella…

"Sweetheart…I'm sorry I didn't mean to say that."

"Just…Just go for a while please."

I swear I could hear his heart break. He stood up and walked out of the room slowly, never turning back. If I could have seen his face…

I regretted asking him to leave, but it gave me time to let my emotions out. Well by that I mean crying grossly until my eyes could produce no more tears. As I dozed off, a nurse came in to check on me. She seemed surprised when she saw my red, puffy face. She let me rest, but pulled up my blankets for me, and I dozed off into an uncomfortable sleep.

Edwards POV

I didn't take my eyes off of her the entire ride. Guilt gnawed at my stomach. The paramedics were not of much use either, they just stood there thinking about Bella in inappropriate ways, feeling disappointed that she wasn't wounded enough that they would have to take her clothes off. They rolled her to a hospital room on the top floor, away from the noise in the lobby, as I had requested. A doctor came in to asses Bella, even though it was un-necessary. I sat patiently, waiting what seemed like five years for him to check her over. As soon as he left, I couldn't help myself from asking how she was, she looked so pale...

"How would you rate you pain from 1-10, Bella?" I asked nervously, taking her hand, tracing her name in her palm with my finger.

"Edward how many times do I have to say that-"

"No Bella, you are NOT fine. If you were fine you would be at home right now making Charlie lasagna." I finished for her. I immediately regretted the words, knowing that she was already under enough pain and stress for one day. I saw the hurt as clear as day in her chocolate brown eyes. Tears flowed over her beautiful lids as she turned away from me, her lips turning down into a frown and I could see she was trying hard not to lose her composure.

"Sweetheart…I'm sorry I didn't mean to say that." I apologized.

"Just…Just go for a while please."

I wanted to slap myself for my stupidity and senselessness. I couldn't control the sorrow on my face as I quickly exited the room. I stood across the hall, my head hanging.

It shot up immediately as I heard her sobbing. I wanted to go back in, comfort her in every way possible, give her everything, but she didn't want that. She didn't want me. At least not right now. A nurse came by about 20 minutes later, checking on Bella. I read her thoughts as she left the room. Pictures of Bella's red bloated face echoed throughout her mind. She felt sorry for her, and I was glad the nurse was kind to her. God knows I wasn't.

Bella POV

I woke up with a dull ache in my head. My ribs felt a whole lot better and my leg was in a cast. My right hand was in a cast, and my left one was sore. My cheek was surprisingly numb, I thought for sure I would feel it…I brought my hand up to my face and felt around. It was cold. That must have meant Edward was here. My heart soared, he hadn't left. And as I tried to sit up, a pair of cold hands were pressing me down.

"Edward!" I cried as I saw his face.

"Bella, I know you don't want me in here, but I have to apologize. What I said was foolish, at least. I was angry with myself, not you. I wanted to be there for you before anything happened, and I wasn't. You have every right to be mad at me." He leaned back, ready to be rejected once more. Yet of course, I would have none of that. I pulled him back down with my good hand, and kissed him. When it broke, he seemed surprised.

"You're not mad?" He asked cautiously.

"No Edward. In no way was this your fault. It was my idea to go to the jewelry shop by myself."

And I was saved from the big question as Carlisle walked in the room in his white lab coat.

"Hello Bella. How are you feeling?" He asked with his charming smile.

"I'm fine."

"Of course" Edward muttered. I shot him a glare. He shut up.

"Carlisle can I talk to you about something…Alone?"

I knew Edward would comply, and he quickly left the room, a questioning look on his face. He was probably going mad, he hated not knowing things.

"What is it Bella?" Asked Carlisle. "Are you sure you're feeling okay?" His gaze shot over to the heart monitor and the readouts.

"Carlisle the reason I went to the jewelry shop was to get Edward a present. A watch."

Carlisle gave me a half convincing grin. Ah, hopefully he understood.

"I didn't want to bring anyone else. I didn't want to risk Edward knowing what I bought. It was supposed to be a wedding gift, and right now it's still at the store, in one of the burlap sacks the thieves filled up."

Carlisle nodded. "Ill recognize it by your scent, I'm sure. I'll be back with it this afternoon."

"Thank you so much." I breathed out, finally relaxing.

"Now, how are you actually feeling?" he asked. He went around to each machine and wire attached to me to make sure everything was running smoothly. When he was assured that I was alright, he promised not to think about the watch too much, and left me.

I laid back against the pillows, not ready for Edward's questioning.

He burst through the door, walking straight towards my bed.

"Bella, what's going on? I deserve to know…at least…" He trailed off, pacing the room grabbing his hair, looking as if he may proceed to rip it out. I sat up, and he immediately ran over to prop up some pillows. I rolled my eyes, but that proved to be difficult. I swayed and almost fell from the bed, but Edward's grip steadied me.

"Tell me." He said, grasping my shoulders lightly. He looked so desperate. Ah, to hell with the surprise.

"Edward, I went to the jewelry store to get you a wedding gift." Immediately his face reflected extreme remorse and guilt.

"It was not your fault" I clarified once more. "So I bought you this watch." I smiled slightly, remembering it. It was perfect for him. "The watch was beautiful. The diamonds reminded me of you in every way. They shone in the light like your skin" I paused, stroking his arm, "It was silver and I could picture it on you. It came in this dark satin box, and I could see myself giving it to you on our wedding day." Edward was silent.

My eyes were growing wet. Why was I crying over a watch?! 'Get a hold of yourself Bella' I chided inwardly. My head hung and I pressed my palms against my face. Stop crying. Stop crying.

"Bella." Edward lifted my head up with one finger and looked into my eyes. "It doesn't matter that it wasn't a surprise. And you don't need to be giving me any gifts. You've already given me the greatest one, accepting my marriage proposal" he said with his beautiful crooked grin. I would roll my eyes, but I wasn't going to risk falling again. "I'm sure it was the most beautiful watch in the world Bella, and I want to thank you so much for picking it out for me. But really, you should have let Alice pay." He chuckled. "She would have been happy to do it." Then growing serious, "Bella. I love you, and I'm sorry for being so fussy. I was worried about you. I can't stand seeing you hurt, or sad, or anything but happy." He took my hands in his. "And I'm so happy you found something that made you happy. Because I'm sure it will make me happy too."

I smiled and kissed him, not caring who saw, just pleased that he wasn't upset anymore.

"I love you Bella." He kissed me and pressed me down against the pillows. One of his hands pressed too hard on my ribs, and I let out a small scream. He was on the other side of the room in a flash.

"Bella?!"


	4. Chapter 4

"No Edward, its fine, my ribs just got a little squished." God. That hurt. "Come back" I said reaching out to him with a forced smile. He shook his head.

"Not while you're injured Bella. You need to rest actually." And he took a seat next to my bed. I was happy that he couldn't sense that I was hurt.

"Bella, your heart is racing…Are you in pain?" He jumped up and began to set his hands on my ribs.

"No…It's just kissing you." I lied. The blush was not fake though. He stepped back.

"Alright. Sleep now Bella, I love you."

Edward POV

As soon as she fell asleep, I was out of the chair and into Carlisle's office.

"You knew about the watch?" I asked trying to not sound outraged.

"Yes." Carlisle responded. He looked surprised. "I just picked it up from the crime scene, Mr. Ambrose was putting things back together and put it aside for Bella. Here" he took out the blue box and set it in my hand. "Don't look at it yet, she wants it to be a surprise."

I nodded and left his office. I quietly re-entered Bella's room. She looked so peaceful in her sleep, so beautiful. I kissed her softly and put the box on the table beside her bed. I took her hand in mine and counted her respirations and took her pulse. Everything seemed normal, thankfully. I leaned back into the chair and stared out the window, my thoughts taking me away to plans of the wedding.

Bella POV

I woke up, and felt like absolute crap. I had to breathe quickly to get enough air into my lungs which produced a coughing spree. I felt extremely hot and I realized the crackling noise was coming from me whenever I took a breath. Edward was gone, he was probably hunting. His eyes were dark last night, I couldn't blame him. But I couldn't spend any more time like this, crackling and coughing. There was something obviously wrong.

"Hello? Can someone help me?" I called with a series of coughs following. I couldn't reach the red button which called a nurse in, and any attempts at sitting up were in vain. So I called for help.

"Help! Someone-" And this time when I coughed I felt a horrible stabbing pain in my lungs.

But thank God, the door flew open and Carlisle ran over to my bed.

"Bella?" He asked, confusion in his gaze.

"Carlisle…can't ...breathe" I rasped. He grabbed my shirt and pulled it up, quickly feeling over my ribs. His eyes widened momentarily and he was gone from my side in a flash.

The rasping noises weren't getting any better. Carlisle was back in a second.

"Bella we're going to get you an x-ray, but I'm almost positive that one of your ribs has punctured your lungs." He wheeled my bed out of the room and down the hall to an X-ray room. He instructed me to breathe slower and longer to stop the coughing. Just like he had predicted, one of my ribs was cracked at a strange angle and it showed some extra fluid around my lungs. I panicked.

"Carlisle?!" I grabbed his shirt.

"Bella, shh you'll be alright. I'll make sure you get the proper care you need." He assured me, looking me dead in the eye.

He pushed my bed back into the hall. Edward was running toward us at a pace that was a little too fast for a human rate.

"Bella? Oh God, Carlisle what's wrong with her?!" He asked grasping my hand as we hurried down the hall.

"Punctured lung, I'm going to drain the fluid now." I was pushed into another room with a large tray. Edward had graduated medical school many times now, so he knew exactly what Carlisle needed. Too many sharp tools were pulled out so I looked away. Edward hurried away to request a nurse and an anesthesiologist. When they arrived, I was given some sort of amnesia to being me under. The last thing I saw was Edward's determined face and Carlisle leaning over me in a doctor's mask.


	5. Chapter 5

I woke up in a bright light. I lifted my hand to block the offending light, and it was met with a cold resistance. Edward.

"Bella?" He hummed.

"Edward" I mumbled.

He laughed, sounding relived. "Bella, how are you feeling? The surgery is over, Carlisle drained the fluid and patched up that hole" he said with a peek in my shirt. "No infection" He reported with a smirk.

I smiled weakly. "Get over here" I said trying to grab his hand so I could slap him for that move. He backed away with a large grin on his face. I sat up and then quickly fell to the floor. Of course, Edward caught me.

"Bella" he murmured in my ear as he put me back on the bed. "You can't be moving around like that. I don't want you to get hurt again."

He helped me lie down slowly, then covered me with a light blanket.

"I don't want to lie here. I've been sleeping forever!" I complained.

"Well you can't get up and go for a jog, Bella. You're here for a reason. To heal. And our wedding is in 12 days. You don't want to be wheeled down that isle do you?"

Suddenly I remembered two very important things.

"Edward? Oh God…"

"Bella? Is it your ribs again? Carlisle!" He called, his hands fluttering over me.

"No! Edward the watch. Did Carlisle ever pick it up? Does my dad know I'm here? He's going to flip out! Oh God."

Carlisle entered the room and was beside me instantly, taking my wrist.

"Bella, you need to calm down, your heart doesn't need to work any harder." He informed me gently.

"Bella the watch is here" Edward told me, handing the box over. "And Charlie visited the first night while you were sleeping. There has been a string of murders throughout Seattle, and he regrets that he can't come to see you when you're awake. But he has been here" he assured me.

I let my breath out slowly as Edward rubbed circles on my back.

"That's it" he encouraged.

"Sorry" I mumbled as I looked up at Edward and Carlisle

Edward shook his head and took my hands. "I love you, Bella."

"I love you too Edward" I smiled. The next few days at the hospital wouldn't be so bad, even if he did have to have a stink about my health.

_**Sorry that this chapter was so short! I'm thinking of making a "Part 2" in another story, where the wedding will take place, and some honeymoon fluff… **__**J**____**Thanks!**_


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